Midnight Demolition of Tunstall Court?

[steveL]

Hearing odd rumours that Ruttles are planning a midnight raid with JCBs on Tunstall Court. This is against the rules, of course, as they have no planning permission to demolish the building but apparently the ensuing fine is just another figure on the costing spreadsheet covering the erection of more executive houses on the site.

All reminiscent of Mandale's midnight demolition of an old cinema in Middlesbrough while the local council were pontificating on how best to preserve its Art Décor features. I think they were fined too but still made a packet when they replaced the cinema with hi-rise student accommodation.

[mk1]

It is now official. Demolition within a month.
Ray delivered on his (secret) promise.

[steveL]

Demolition of Tunstall Court, Conversion of the Saxon into Retail Outlets and more houses at Nelson Farm at Hart Station - busy time.

I wonder how many of those letters of support for the demolition of Tunstall Court were organised by Mr Wells and it's interesting that the views of English Heritage and Hartlepool Civic Society have been brushed aside.

[seaton]

If my memory serves me well Cameron's Hospital was demolished in a hurry.

[one direction]

Surely its time for such a blatant example of the capitalist greed of our past and exploitation of our working class forebears to be demolished and the space used for more modest housing of the type any truely  aspirational socialist could realistically look forward to living in and enjoying? When Tunstall Court was built the average working man didn't even have an indoor toilet, let alone the luxury of hot water and baths. I think there are much worthier causes for our elected representatives to go into bat over than the obliteration of this derelict monument to Mammon.

[steveL]

It seems pretty clear to me that the Planning function of HBC has been completely hijacked and no longer functions as it should. There were reasons for and against the demolition of Tunstall Court but I'm not sure if either are of any relevance an longer. Vested interests now litter the council chamber and the normal rules which should filter out the influence of those with a stake on how applications go seem to have been thrown out of the window.

Go back far enough and you'll find HBC selling Tunstall Court to a developer at a knock down price on the promise that it would be converted into over 55 accommodation. At the time this was said to be the best chance for preserving the building. Both they (HBC) and us have been had.

[Inspector Knacker]

Surely its time for such a blatant example of the capitalist greed of our past and exploitation of our working class forebears to be demolished and the space used for more modest housing of the type any truely  aspirational socialist could realistically look forward to living in and enjoying? When Tunstall Court was built the average working man didn't even have an indoor toilet, let alone the luxury of hot water and baths. I think there are much worthier causes for our elected representatives to go into bat over than the obliteration of this derelict monument to Mammon.

So we demolish every building that doesn't tick your politically approved box....?  Well it's gone....... you could build a small community of boxes for the aspirational...oops....they'll be doing that anyway.

[Land Phil]

West Park and Socialists ....seriously.

I believe most residents around West Park are aspiring capitalists overpaying for the privelige of not living next door to the working class.

The house was magnificent and it could have been a premier venue to get married at, used to host the various awards ceremonies that currently get held near Sedgefield, the perfect place for a wine tasting event instead of the crass crem cafe bar.

It could have been the jewel in the crown of Hartlepool.

Instead it is going to be another very boring over priced housing estate, just like the dire houses on the site of old Cameron's Hospital.

It will be sorely missed and will be a shameful part of Hartlepool's history in the decades and centuries to come.

[Inspector Knacker]

I spent two years of my schooloing in Tunstall Court. Even then the interior was to be admired... a building to be admired as a mere working class kid. It never once occured to me to class it as a monument to mammon... it was just beautiful even in its then reduced circumstances......I never suffered from misguided loyalty to   political prejudices .
Ever get the feeling the town is earmarked as a dormitory town for the thrusting super city of aTeesside and it's being turned into one big bland housing estate.
What is an aspirtational socialist...?

[one direction]

It will be sorely missed and will be a shameful part of Hartlepool's history in the decades and centuries to come.

Sorely missed? By whom? I wont miss it and I'd be willing to bet you'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people who will. Let's face it, most people in the town aren't concerned enough to do anything about the hospital so who would get off their backsides to worry about an old house. Shameful? Is a bit strong. Forgotten in a few yesrs at the most is more likely.

[Land Phil]

Forgotten like the wonderful facade of Cameron's Hospital, the Empire Theatre even the old workhouse was steeped in history (including my families) even if it was not grand.

It do think it brings shame on the town when you look at what amazing things other places have done with their old historical buildings. 
It is an embarrassment to be in the old grand buildings of other towns and think what a rubbish job Hartlepool did of protecting it's own gems.

[Inspector Knacker]

It will be sorely missed and will be a shameful part of Hartlepool's history in the decades and centuries to come.

Sorely missed? By whom? I wont miss it and I'd be willing to bet you'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people who will. Let's face it, most people in the town aren't concerned enough to do anything about the hospital so who would get off their backsides to worry about an old house. Shameful? Is a bit strong. Forgotten in a few yesrs at the most is more likely.

yeah...we can all livr identikit blocks of workers grey concrete chicken coops ... the trouble with your ideology means we'd have to start by demolishing Stonehenge... a structure built by the ruling elite by people who didn't have a toilet, never mind an inside one.......and to cap it all had a spiritual connection....surely incompatible with the thoughts of an aspiring socialist.
This sounds like debating night at a meeting of a pack of Masrxist Leninist cub scouts

[one direction]

Reductio ad absurdum is a lazy argument to make and very difficult to make effectively. Stonehenge is a world heritage site of international significance. Tunstall court is an example of a fairly run of the mill victorian entrepreneurs town house. Hardly two comparable structures. As regards identical chicken coops, have you been to a Yuill or Leech housing estate?  I personally am glad that the workhouse has gone and i hope it never comes back regardles of how nice a building it might be located in. I love inspirational buildings and want to cry when I look at  crimes against architecture like the shed at Jacksons Landing  and  the least cost build of Navigation Point. Times change, buildings becone redundant and things move on. Hartkepool Council's conservation area policy has been a disgrace for years,  too much effort put into stopping upvc windows on the Headland and the big picture being neglected. Look at Seaton Carew if you want to see some monsterous carbuncles and shameful neglect.

[Inspector Knacker]

Reductio ad absurdum is a lazy argument to make and very difficult to make effectively. Stonehenge is a world heritage site of international significance. Tunstall court is an example of a fairly run of the mill victorian entrepreneurs town house. Hardly two comparable structures.

Stonehenge...built  by the ruling elite under rather worse confitions than enjoyed by the average Victorian builder... but because it's a world heritage site and no nasty capitalists on the job it's all hunky dory.....come off it, there is no basic difference whatsoever in the principle behind their creation.
Love the resort to latin by an aspiring socialist....better a lazy srgument than a selective interpretation of the facts.

[Lord Elpus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5KC6uVaZcE